Breathwork Session 1 — Summary

Your breath is a powerful tool that directly supports your body and your ability to regulate your nervous system.

Sian, in our session we explored how your breathing patterns — shaped by posture, movement, and daily habits — can influence your mental state, stress response, and emotional resilience. Your breath and body are deeply connected, and by becoming more aware of how you breathe, you can begin to restore balance, improve your energy, and feel more at ease in your day-to-day life.

Breath is a way to return to yourself. It has the ability to shift your internal state by working through your nervous system, helping you build both resilience and trust in your own body over time.

Foundations

Functional Breathing

We focused on developing a breathing pattern that is:

Nasal

Supports nitric oxide production, improves oxygen uptake, filters and humidifies the air.

Light

Gentle breathing is more efficient than forcing the breath.

Slow

6–10 breaths per minute reduces heart workload and signals safety to your nervous system.

Deep (Diaphragmatic)

Breathing into the base of your lungs allows full diaphragm movement, supporting better oxygen exchange and calm.

Understanding

Oxygen & CO₂ Balance

The Bohr effect explains that oxygen delivery to your tissues — essential after surgery and for wound healing — depends not just on how much oxygen you inhale, but on your CO₂ levels.

Chronic stress often leads to overbreathing, lowering CO₂

Low CO₂ tolerance contributes to fatigue, anxiety, poor sleep

Improving CO₂ tolerance supports both calmness and energy

With awareness and practice, your body can relearn a more balanced and efficient breathing pattern.

Awareness

Breath & Modern Life

Prolonged screen time, poor posture, and ongoing stress can restrict your diaphragm and ribs, leading to:

Shallow, upper chest breathing

Increased stress reactivity

Reduced oxygen delivery to tissues

By gently retraining your breath, we restore nervous system flexibility and overall health.

Your Practice

Take-Home Exercises

Diaphragmatic Breathing

Breathe gently into your belly and side ribs. Feel the expansion on all sides.

Extended Exhale

Allow your exhale to be slightly longer than your inhale. Pause softly at the end of the exhale.

Practice little and often — small, consistent shifts create meaningful improvements in your energy, sleep, resilience, and overall wellbeing.

Reflection

Start Noticing

"How does your breath change during moments of stress, focus, or rest?"

Awareness is the first step toward change.

Sian, we'll continue building on this in our next session

Healing In-depth

Estrella Molina — Functional Medicine & Holistic Wellness

www.healingindepth.com

@estrella.healingindepth